Future Cities
We shape the liveable future
Future cities are climate neutral. They must be designed and operated without jeopardising future generations' access to nature and its resources.
We create value by focusing on and strengthening the soul and identity of a city - all to shape the liveable cities of the future, where a good and healthy life is available to all.
Our survey: Majority of young Europeans want to live in small cities
To understand how the pandemic has affected young people’s views on their future and where to live, AFRY conducted a survey among young adults in seven European countries. The results suggest that the pandemic has had an effect on young adults' preferences.
According to the UN, almost 70 percent of the world's population will live in urban areas by 2050
Cities are on the front lines of the growing risks associated with climate change, and are key in the sustainable transition. Today they are responsible for 70 percent of climate emissions. A number that will grow as the population grows and the urbanisation trend continues. Today more than half of the world’s people live in urban areas, and by 2050, that proportion is expected to increase to 68 percent.
This poses new challenges for cities, and stresses the need for decarbonisation strategies for energy, transport, buildings and industry. How can we tackle these challenges while improving quality of life? How can we build cities for future generations, without knowing what the future holds?
Cities based on cross-sector collaboration and human needs
The speed of innovations, of new possibilities, in light of the effects of climate change and political priorities, stresses the need for cross-sector collaborations, and engaging the citizens. This is identified within the EU initiative and mission to support 100 cities to reach climate neutrality by 2030 as part of the European Green Deal strategy, where collaborations are an important part of the Climate City Contract. Only by working together across sectors is a climate neutral future in urban areas possible.
The UN has recognised the importance of cities in meeting the Sustainable Development Goals and consequently two thirds of the SDG targets have an urban dimension. AFRY has built and developed cities since 1895. Our global and extensive experience has generated insights on urban development and human-centric, functional and aesthetic design. We want to optimise cities based on human needs without jeopardizing natural resources. Our future cities must hold a balance of vision and tradition, ethics and technology and be both agile and thoughtful. We want to find the best solutions for shaping the climate neutral cities of the future; sustainable, enjoyable, safe, smart, inclusive, liveable and entirely created from its inhabitants’ perspectives and needs.
Future cities are climate neutral. We shape the liveable future.
Future Cities Insights
AFRY experts share their Insights on Sustainable Urban Development
Seven principles for the city of the future
These principles can be found in our book Predicting the Unpredictable - a Nordic Approach to Shaping Future Cities, written by Jonas Gustavsson, President and CEO and Helena Paulsson, Head of Urban Development.
The book is available to order as a hardcover here and as an e-book here or here.
“We create value by focusing on and strengthening the soul and identity of a city. All to shape the liveable cities of the future, where the good and healthy life is available to all. We shape future cities where people, businesses, culture, innovation and science thrive. Cities that are inclusive and safe.”
Helena Paulsson, VP and Business Area Manager of Architecture & Design at AFRY
+46 10 505 10 03
